Mr. Personality

Tobin turns five months old next Wednesday. Allison already noted below how he's grown physically. Even more amazing than his phsical development, though, has been the emergence of his personality. He's a happy baby who can appreciate quiet time and loud playtime.

He has recently discovered the joy of bouncing on the bed. I hold him under his arms and bounce him up and down. He never seems to get tired of it. I say "seem" because my biceps get tired of lifting him repeatedly before he tires of the jumping feeling. He smiles from ear to ear and sputters out giggles.

His Aunt Ashley visited this weekend and discovered that he enjoys putting sunglasses on (picture below). He, his mom, and his aunt were in the car in a failed attempt to attend the North Carolina State Fair. While they were stuck in traffic, Ashley made faces at Tobin and put her sunglasses on him. I don't know how he did it, but apparently the sound of his laughter even made the gridlock on I-40 and surrounding areas tolerable.


Tobin is almost always easily consoled. I can't say he understands language yet, but he seems understanding when I explain "The bottle is warming up right now," or "I'll be glad to check your diaper." His crying is communicative, not demonstrative, for which I am very grateful. A few kids at his preschool are always loud when I'm there. Tobin, on the other hand, always seems engaged in an activity or quietly observant, thoughtful in what he is doing.

A good example of his temperament was Allison's swearing-in ceremony. I took the day off work and took him to Raleigh so we could be with Allison while she became a member of the Bar. It was held in the State Capitol, in the original Senate chamber, and was the closest thing to a formal event that Tobin has attended. I was worried about him making noise or needing to be changed while we were there. Instead, he sat quietly in my lap while other lawyers took their oaths. He would startle a little when the gallery applauded each person, but he never protested. When it was Allison's turn, the three of us stood at the podium while the Chief Justice administered the oath (see picture below). At the reception afterward, numerous people remarked that they'd never seen such a well-behaved baby. A few of the justices made a point of remarking on how handsome and well-behaved he was. And while I can't claim he's always that quiet and well-mannered, it really wasn't that surprising to us. It fits perfectly with his personality.